Richard Yap’s bigger dreams

CEBU, Philippines - Richard Yap as a Pinoy 007?

It won’t be a stretch of the imagination to picture the 48-year-old Cebuano actor in the role of the suave spy, dapper in a tailored suit as he annihilates baddies and charms the ladies without breaking a sweat.

“I’ve always wanted to do a James Bond type of movie,” Richard confesses. “But I don’t think we have the budget for a kind of film like that. But who knows? That’s one of my dreams.”

Dreams, unfulfilled or otherwise, were the focal point of Richard’s recent media huddle at the Grand Cenia Residences, in line with his introduction as Filinvest Land Inc.’s (FLI, a Cebuano-owned property developer) newest brand ambassador and dream advocate.

While his James Bond fantasies remain a wild fancy for now, Richard is pleased to nab a primetime TV role that will showcase his villainous, more physically able side.

The chinito ABS-CBN star has joined the television hit “Ang Probinsyano,” starred in by Coco Martin and Maja Salvador. Richard strips himself completely off his lovable Papa Chen and Sir Chief personas, as he essays the character of an international child trafficking syndicate leader named Philip Tang.

His crooked alter ego will play foil to Albert Martinez’s likewise villainous character, with martial artist and Chinese actor Jet Li in the movie “Lethal Weapon 4” being Richard’s peg.

“It’s a different character from that of Papa Toms played by Albert. I’m his counterpart from Shanghai; we operate the same business,” he shares. “I’m more cool, very shrewd, but I don’t show a lot of emotion. Very slight movements, you can only read his emotions through his eyes. I don’t lay out all my cards on the table.”

He intentionally shed weight for the role through circuit training, in an effort to veer away from his macho Sir Chief image. “We wanted a more athletic look. I also do a lot of Wushu in the show,” he adds.

It was a role Richard requested, saying he wanted to dabble in various acting genres  “because I want to discover where I’m better equipped. I also wanted to do something like this, so that when I tackle another good guy role, viewers can see the difference.”

An earlier project that saw him veering off the good guy cookie-cutter was his turn as a conceited lawyer and unfaithful husband in the film “You’re Still The One” topbilled by Maja and Dennis Trillo.

But Richard says the daring role, which showed him taking off his shirt in one scene, was likely not going to be a regular occurrence.

“Actually that was just a favor I did for Star Cinema,” he explains. “It was a bit daring for me, but I couldn’t say no. My participation was minimal, but I heard some feedback that it was quite a different Richard Yap that they were used to seeing. Basically, I don’t think the role fit me.”

An action film aficionado, Richard says he grew up soaking in kung fu movies at Vision Theater in Colon, and those flicks of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, and of course, the James Bond movies. He also loved classic romantics, citing the likes of “The Love Affair” and “Somewhere In Time.”

After “Ang Probinsyano,” Richard says he is set to star in another soap, the concept of which is still being ironed out. Once a currently pregnant Judy Ann Santos is ready to get back to the grind, she and Richard are expected to resume work on  the temporarily shelved TV drama “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

Dream advocate

FLI Senior Vice President Tristan Las Marias said that they found Richard’s story of being a self-made businessman whose dreams were attained through good ‘ol hard work and perseverance as the perfect model for their evolving clientele.

Asked if he had remaining major goals, Richard says he’s basically contented as it is, and that his dreams now are more for his kids to excel in school and succeed in their chosen pursuits.

“I think I’ve fulfilled enough of my dreams: owning my own home, being successful in business, being an actor. But this doesn’t stop me from dreaming of bigger things. Right now, the dreams I have are for my children,” he says.

“For myself, I dream to be an inspiration to other people. For our country, I wish that we could have the political will, that we will be on a straight path, and that we think of other people before ourselves.”

Of how he has managed to shirk temptations despite the array of opportunities afforded a sought-after star, Richard says, “I think it’s a matter of how you conduct yourself. If you let yourself get pulled in by showbiz…sometimes people think that the roles they’re playing can carry over to my real life. But I separate work from family life.”

And speaking of family, expect Richard to retaliate if it’s his brood you’re trashing online. Otherwise, he lets criticism targeted towards him slide by.

“If they say something about me, I don’t really mind. It’s useless to stress yourself over such things. What’s foul for me is if they talk about my family. When people bash my family, that’s when I react,” he says.

“Sometimes when you say something, the people react like you have no right to defend yourself. Which is not fair, because everyone has the right to defend themselves, whether you’re a public personality or not. Gone are the days when people upheld good manners and right conduct. When we were younger, we were taught that if we had nothing good to say, better not say anything.” (FREEMAN)